CMMi - Project Monitoring and Control (PMC)

Project Monitoring and Control (PMC)

Process Areas

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The CMMi Easy button notes on Project Monitoring and Control (PMC)

Given a project plan it follows that activities are needed to monitor the progress of the project and take corrective action when appropriate. These monitoring and corrective action activities are the goals and practices of the project monitoring and control (PMC) process area of CMMi-DEV.

Project control and monitoring within the devilís triangle

The devilís triangle refers to Cost, Time and Quality. Sometimes Flexibility (in terms of process) is an added dimension which in turn produces the devilís quadrangle.

For the purposes of project control and monitoring it is useful to refer to the three key control objective areas of:

Cost, this includes both human and other resources.

Time, which is differentiated from cost as it is the time to deliver.

Quality, which includes the value and goals of the project

In simple terms the devils triangle works like this: It is possible to positively impact one of the three main control objectives by compromising (i.e. negatively impacting) one or two of the other project control objectives. By way of example:-

The cost of the project can be reduced if the quality is also reduced.

In this relationship, the quality objective refers to the complete value (or goal) of the project. In most projectís this is a frequent compromise, in that features may be reduced or eliminated in order to bring in the project on budget.

The cost of the project can be reduced if the time to deliver is increased.

At first this seems counter intuitive, as the old adage time equals money seems to contradict this. Consider a situation where you just check your email every Friday morning, in this case the overall cost of checking email is reduced but the time to react to anything has been extended.

The situation where the time is reduced is covered by a reduction of quality (that is reducing cost and quality). In this sense the adage time is money does apply but in essence we have the two broad compromises cost versus quality and cost versus time to deliver.

Project monitoring and control of project costs.

From the Project Planning process area we have established that the network of activities, within the project plan, is the basis for planning and scheduling project resources. It follows that the project network of activities (the basic workflow) can be used to control and monitor the ongoing project costs.

One of the main project cost drivers will be human resources, or hours booked against a given activity. In order to monitor peopleís hours some form of time tracking (time sheet) needs to be utilized. The categories of time, for the project, should match the activities on the chart used for planning. The level of project control desired will determine the level of detail used for the activity planning and project monitoring.

The level of detail for monitoring and controlling costs will vary from project to project as the main criteria is the risk of this (cost) parameter going out of control and the consequences of that out of control event. In essence you should only plan to the level of detail needed to be able to monitor and control the project costs. That said the activities laid out in the project plan do have to be reflective of the cost (resource) driving activities of the project.

Project costs will quickly go out of control if:-

The project plan does not model the appropriate activities that will incur costs.

There is inadequate resource tracking, against planned activities, during the project.

The important point about project monitoring and control of costs is that the cost objectives and consequences need to be well defined in the plan. Also the consequences, i.e. identification of who is responsible for the costs, need to be made clear at kick off.

Without careful and considered planning of the project costs (including the resource activity structure) the monitoring and control of the project is just a procession and becomes an Ďit is what it isí end goal rather than an exercise in project cost control.

One fine note is that as the project continues it will become evident if the cost estimates are realistic and if overruns look likely then the project plan should be revisited. This reaction to events (i.e. corrective action) is also a major part of project monitoring and control within CMMi. The idea is to capture measures that significantly deviate from the plan, where significant means that a projectís objective may be compromised. Most, if not all projects have a cost objective (i.e. budget).

Project monitoring and control of the project timeline.

Another major project planning parameter that needs to be controlled and monitored is schedule. The project schedule (or timeline) is often correlated to cost but this control parameter still needs to be separately planned, monitored and controlled with appropriate corrective action being taken when any significant deviations from the project plan are detected.

The scheduling of resources, including individuals allocating their time, is one aspect of monitoring the project timeline that is critical. The more scarce and valuable the resource (i.e. a test performance lab facility) the more critical the need to align the consumption of that resource. This means making sure all the dependent activities are completed, in time, and the other dependent resources are also available at the appropriate time.

The use of milestones, that is a period check to see if certain planned work is completed, is a common method of verifying if the project schedule is on track. As with costs monitoring any scheduling risks need to be reflected in the project plan and appropriate action has to be taken when and significant deviation from the planned schedule is detected.

Project monitoring and control of the project deliverables (i.e. the quality objectives)

The deliverables (interim work products) of the project need to be constantly examined to determine if they meet the required specification.

Within the software project, there are three other process areas that are concerned with the quality of the work products being produced. These process areas are Validation, Verification and Quantitative Project Management (QPM). The verification and validation process areas are primarily concerned with the quality control of the work products, such as requirements, specifications and test plans etc. The QPM process area is more concerned with Ďquantitativelyí managing the projectís defined processes to achieve the projectís established quality and process-performance objectives.

In terms of monitoring the quality (or value) aspect of the project there are a number of overlapping activities, which are further discussed in the appropriate process areas. In terms of project monitoring and control it is important to note that the overall progress of the project is the primary objective.

CMMi Easy button Summary

Given the primary objective of Project Monitoring and Control is a perspective of the progress of the project it is imperative to take into account the quality of the main deliverables (and interim work products) of the project.

The quality of both work products and appropriate work processes being followed are further discussed within the Verification, Validation and Quantitative Project Management process areas as they are an essential part of any software continuous process improvement framework.

Project Monitoring and Control (PMC)

A Project Management Process Area at Maturity Level 2

Purpose

The purpose of Project Monitoring and Control (PMC) is to provide an understanding of the projectís progress so that appropriate corrective actions can be taken when the projectís performance deviates significantly from the plan.

Introductory Notes

A projectís documented plan is the basis for monitoring activities, communicating status, and taking corrective action. Progress is primarily determined by comparing actual work product and task attributes, effort, cost, and schedule to the plan at prescribed milestones or control levels within the project schedule or work breakdown structure (WBS). Appropriate visibility enables timely corrective action to be taken when performance deviates significantly from the plan. A deviation is significant if, when left unresolved, it precludes the project from meeting its objectives.

The term ďproject planĒ is used throughout these practices to refer to the overall plan for controlling the project.

When actual status deviates significantly from the expected values, corrective actions are taken as appropriate. These actions may require replanning, which may include revising the original plan, establishing new agreements, or including additional mitigation activities within the current plan.

Related Process Areas.

Refer to the Project Planning process area for more information about the project plan, including how it specifies the appropriate level of project monitoring, the measures used to monitor progress, and known risks.

Refer to the Measurement and Analysis process area for information about the process of measuring, analyzing, and recording information.

Specific Practices by Goal

SG 1 Monitor Project Against Plan

Actual performance and progress of the project are monitored against the project plan.

SP 1.1 Monitor Project Planning Parameters

Monitor the actual values of the project planning parameters against the project plan.

Project planning parameters constitute typical indicators of project progress and performance and include attributes of work products and tasks, cost, effort, and schedule. Attributes of the work products and tasks include such items as size, complexity, weight, form, fit, or function.

Monitoring typically involves measuring the actual values of project planning parameters, comparing actual values to the estimates in the plan, and identifying significant deviations. Recording actual values of the project planning parameters includes recording associated contextual information to help understand the measures. An analysis of the impact that significant deviations have on determining what corrective actions to take is handled in the second specific goal and its specific practices in this process area.

Typical Work Products

Records of project performance

Records of significant deviations

Subpractice 1: Monitor progress against the schedule.

Progress monitoring typically includes the following:

Periodically measuring the actual completion of activities and milestones

Comparing actual completion of activities and milestones against the schedule documented in the project plan

Identifying significant deviations from the schedule estimates in the project plan

Subpractice 2: Identify commitments that have not been satisfied or that are at significant risk of not being satisfied.

Subpractice 3: Document the results of the commitment reviews.

SP 1.3 Monitor Project Risks

Monitor risks against those identified in the project plan.

Refer to the Project Planning process area for more information about identifying project risks.

Refer to the Risk Management process area for more information about risk management activities.

Typical Work Products

Records of project risk monitoring

Subpractice 1: Periodically review the documentation of the risks in the context of the projectís current status and circumstances.

Subpractice 2: Revise the documentation of the risks, as additional information becomes available, to incorporate changes.

Subpractice 3: Communicate risk status to relevant stakeholders.

Examples of risk status include the following:

A change in the probability that the risk occurs

A change in risk priority

SP 1.4 Monitor Data Management

Monitor the management of project data against the project plan.

Refer to the Plan for Data Management specific practice in the Project Planning process area for more information about identifying the types of data that should be managed and how to plan for their management.

Once the plans for the management of project data are made, the management of that data must be monitored to ensure that those plans are accomplished.

Refer to the Plan Stakeholder Involvement specific practice in the Project Planning process area for more information about identifying relevant stakeholders and planning the appropriate involvement with them.

Once the stakeholders are identified and the extent of their involvement within the project is specified in project planning, that involvement must be monitored to ensure that the appropriate interactions are occurring.

Managers, staff members, customers, end users, suppliers, and other relevant stakeholders within the organization are included in the reviews as appropriate.

Subpractice 2: Review the results of collecting and analyzing measures for controlling the project.

Refer to the Measurement and Analysis process area for more information about the process for measuring and analyzing project performance data.

Subpractice 3: Identify and document significant issues and deviations from the plan.

Subpractice 4: Document change requests and problems identified in any of the work products and processes.

Refer to the Configuration Management process area for more information about how changes are managed.

Subpractice 5: Document the results of the reviews.

Subpractice 6: Track change requests and problem reports to closure.

SP 1.7 Conduct Milestone Reviews

Review the accomplishments and results of the project at selected project milestones.

Refer to the Project Planning process area for more information about milestone planning.

Milestone reviews are planned during project planning and are typically formal reviews.

Typical Work Products

Documented milestone review results

Subpractice 1: Conduct reviews at meaningful points in the projectís schedule, such as the completion of selected stages, with relevant stakeholders.

Managers, staff members, customers, end users, suppliers, and other relevant stakeholders within the organization are included in the milestone reviews as appropriate.

Subpractice 2: Review the commitments, plan, status, and risks of the project.

Subpractice 3: Identify and document significant issues and their impacts.

Subpractice 4: Document the results of the review, action items, and decisions.

Subpractice 5: Track action items to closure.

SG 2 Manage Corrective Action to Closure

Corrective actions are managed to closure when the project's performance or results deviate significantly from the plan.

Many product integration problems arise from unknown or uncontrolled aspects of both internal and external interfaces. Effective management of product component interface requirements, specifications, and designs helps ensure that implemented interfaces will be complete and compatible.

SP 2.1 Analyze Issues

Collect and analyze the issues and determine the corrective actions necessary to address the issues.

Typical Work Products

List of issues needing corrective actions

Subpractice 1: Gather issues for analysis.

Issues are collected from reviews and the execution of other processes.

Lessons learned as a result of taking corrective action can be inputs to planning and risk management processes.

Generic Practices by Goal

GG 1 Achieve Specific Goals

The process supports and enables achievement of the specific goals of the process area by transforming identifiable input work products to produce identifiable output work products.

GP 1.1 Perform Specific Practices

Perform the specific practices of the project monitoring and control process to develop work products and provide services to achieve the specific goals of the process area.

GG 2 Institutionalize a Managed Process

The process is institutionalized as a managed process.

GP 2.1 Establish an Organizational Policy

Establish and maintain an organizational policy for planning and performing the project monitoring and control process.

Elaboration:

This policy establishes organizational expectations for monitoring performance against the project plan and managing corrective action to closure when actual performance or results deviate significantly from the plan.

GP 2.2 Plan the Process

Establish and maintain the plan for performing the project monitoring and control process.

Elaboration:

This plan for performing the project monitoring and control process can be part of (or referenced by) the project plan, as described in the Project Planning process area.

GP 2.3 Provide Resources

Provide adequate resources for performing the project monitoring and control process, developing the work products, and providing the services of the process.

Elaboration:

Examples of resources provided include the following tools:

Cost tracking systems

Effort reporting systems

Action item tracking systems

Project management and scheduling programs

GP 2.4 Assign Responsibility

Assign responsibility and authority for performing the process, developing the work products, and providing the services of the project monitoring and control process.

GP 2.5 Train People

Train the people performing or supporting the project monitoring and control process as needed.

Elaboration:

Examples of training topics include the following:

Monitoring and control of projects

Risk management

Data management

GP 2.6 Manage Configurations

Place designated work products of the project monitoring and control process under appropriate levels of control.

Elaboration:

Examples of work products placed under control include the following:

Poject schedules with status

Project measurement data and analysis

Earned value reports

GP 2.7 Identify and Involve Relevant Stakeholders

Identify and involve the relevant stakeholders of the project monitoring and control process as planned.

Elaboration:

Refer to Table 6.2 on page 95 in Generic Goals and Generic Practices for more information about the relationship between generic practice 2.7 and the Monitor Stakeholder Involvement practice in the Project Monitoring and Control process area.

Examples of activities for stakeholder involvement include the following:

Assessing the project against the plan

Reviewing commitments and resolving issues

Reviewing project risks

Reviewing data management activities

Reviewing project progress

Managing corrective actions to closure

GP 2.8 Monitor and Control the Process

Monitor and control the project monitoring and control process against the plan for performing the process and take appropriate corrective action.

Elaboration:

Refer to Table 6.2 on page 95 in Generic Goals and Generic Practices for more information about the relationship between generic practice 2.8 and the Project Monitoring and Control process area.

Examples of measures and work products used in monitoring and controlling include the following:

Objectively evaluate adherence of the project monitoring and control process against its process description, standards, and procedures, and address noncompliance.

Elaboration:

Examples of activities reviewed include the following:

Monitoring project performance against the project plan

Managing corrective actions to closure

Examples of work products reviewed include the following:

Records of project performance

Project review results

GP 2.10 Review Status with Higher Level Management

Review the activities, status, and results of the project monitoring and control process with higher level management and resolve issues.

GG 3 Institutionalize a Defined Process

The process is institutionalized as a defined process.

This generic goal's appearance here reflects its location in the continuous representation.

GP 3.1 Establish a Defined Process

Establish and maintain the description of a defined project monitoring and control process.

GP 3.2 Collect Improvement Information

Collect work products, measures, measurement results, and improvement information derived from planning and performing the project monitoring and control process to support the future use and improvement of the organizationís processes and process assets.

Elaboration:

Examples of work products, measures, measurement results, and improvement information include the following:

Records of significant deviations

Criteria for what constitutes a deviation

Corrective action results

GG 4 Institutionalize a Quantitatively Managed Process

The process is institutionalized as a quantitatively managed process.

GP 4.1 Establish Quantitative Objectives for the Process

Establish and maintain quantitative objectives for the project monitoring and control process, which address quality and process performance, based on customer needs and business objectives.

GP 4.2 Stabilize Subprocess Performance

Stabilize the performance of one or more subprocesses to determine the ability of the project monitoring and control process to achieve the established quantitative quality and process-performance objectives.

GG 5 Institutionalize an Optimizing Process

The process is institutionalized as an optimizing process.

GP 5.1 Ensure Continuous Process Improvement

Ensure continuous improvement of the project monitoring and control process in fulfilling the relevant business objectives of the organization.

GP 5.2 Correct Root Causes of Problems

Identify and correct the root causes of defects and other problems in the project monitoring and control process.

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